Closure fastener



Mamme, 193.1.v w. MEVIS 1,195,402

cLosURE FASTENER Filed Nov. e, 1929 Inventor Attorney Patented Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES WILLIAM MEvIs, oF auscoLn, ILLINOIS GLOSURE FASTENER Application filed November 6, 1929. ,Serial No. 405,158.

'This invention relatesfbroadly to.A closure fasteners, and has more particular rete-rence toa fastening'device especially adapted for use `with lfences/tor securing the gate ofthe fence in a closed position. l

' A Vstill further object of the invention is to provide a gate fastener which may be quickly and easily secured upon the gate post of the fence andadapted for' Vfastening or retaining l@ engagement with the gate when the latter is swung to a-closed position for retaining the gate in said closed position..

A still further objectfof the'invention is to provide a gate fastener of the character above mentioned which is comparatively simplein construction'consists of but comparatively few'partsand which can quickly and handily be moved to a'releasingposition -Jfor reeinglthe' gate in orderlthat the lattermay bev-opened. fr 1 f lOther objects and advantagesof the invention will become apparentdurng a study of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying' drawings-5 wherein "Figure `1 -is a fragmentary-view of a gate post therefor and illustrating. fthe application of lmy invention thereto, f

l Figure 2 vis a -vertical'transverse sectional view taken substantially/on..lineQ-Q ot .Fig-

"Figure 3 is a vfragmentary detail horizontal sectional view taken-through the fastener.

With reference more in detail to thedrawings, `it will' be `seentha-t Iliave designated the gate-'generally by the-referencecharacter l5,'and'the post vagainst which thefreeendggf the gate is adapted Atopalo'ut when;swun"gto a' closed position, bythe reference'character 6.

-The gate '5 may be of 'any conventional l structure, and for thesa'ke of lexample I have herein shown tragmentarilythe gate asbeing of a frame structure. Y 1

The present invention comprehends fthe provision of a substantially lU-shapedibracket formed of a single blank or strip of metal bent intermediateits ends to Vprovide a pair ot spaced parallel coex'tensive legs 7 and8 respectively, each otsaidlegs at their :free lends terminating or merging into relatively wide plate like attaching portions 9 and "10 rel spectively. Y

The plate like attaching portion@ roi the leg 7 is .disposed against the inner'face of the post 6 and is secured to said post'through the medium of a screw 11 vpassing vtherethrough and engaging with the post. 'Inflieu of the screw 11 any other suitable attaching means Amaybe employed. l'

The yleg v8 has its plate like :atta-ching .end bent laterally and at right anglestheretofor position against the front vertical face ofthe post 6, said plate like attaching portion'being securedto said postthroughthe-medium oft screws or other-suitable fastening elements 12.

Thus itwill be seen thatsthe'bracketsosecured to the .post :extends substantially fat right anglesto'the post. `Adj acentitheir plate like ends a spacer block 13 isarranige'dvbein Figure f3. Loosely'fitting withinthe-.Ushaped'bracket b'etweenthe bight of thebracket and the spacer blocki is a retainingfmember designated generallyby the reference character .14. The `retaining 'element 14 is in *the nature of a `tween the legs 7and 8 as shown to advantage wireor metallic loop flattened as 4at -15an'd having its lower end curved as at 16.

' The `retainer loop 14 is Vadapted orfslide in'g movement between thellegs 7 and 8 'ofthe 'bracket' and spaced'bolts 17 extend transversely through the bracket, that is, through thelegs 7 and 8, said'bolts `17 passingthrough the loop 14, whereby the loop is'fnormallyk supported in a depending position within said bracket as shown to advantagein Figure 2.

One of thehorizontal rails or =frame-mem bers'1'8 of the gate 5 at the yfree end oit the i gate has an angle plate 19 mounted thereon, the flange 2O of which restsonthe upperedge Aof the -rail 18 'and has its vforwardedge projecting beyond fthe adjacent face vof lthe lrail y.In actual :practicethe -U-.shape'dwbraoket will bemounted on the post slightlyabo've thegate railV :18 so .that obviouslyvasthelgate is swung to a closed position thejfflangeQO ot the plate .19-carriedrby the rail 18 will strike against the lower curved end of the retaining loop 14 forcing the same vertically and upwardly between the legs 7 and 8, the gate continuing to a full closed position so that the rail 18 of the gate will pass inwardly a suflicient distance toward the post 6 as to enable the loop 15 to drop down in front of the gate or to that position shown in Figure 2.

Adjacent its curved lower end the loop 14 is provided with a notch 21, with which notch 21 the free edge of the flange 2O of the plate 19 will engage thus retaining the loop 14 in pending position for retaining the gate 5 in a fully closed position.

In order to protect the fastener against the elements, there is provided a protector hood 22, which hood 22 may be of any suitable construction preferably formed of metal or other weatherproof material and this hood may be opened at the inner end thereof, being substantially U-shaped in cross section7 said hood 22 being of a length substantially equal to the length of the legs 7 and 8 proper.

The side wall of the hood 22 straddles the legs of the U-shaped bracket with the closed end of the hood being preferably farthest remote from the post 6, and the bolts 17 fastened to the legs 7 and 8 also passed through the lower portion of the side walls of the hood 22 for securing the same in position on the bracket.

There is also employed a bolt which passes through lower portions of the side walls of the hood 22, through the legs 7 and 8 and spacer block 13.

Thus it will be seen that the hood may be readily and easily placed in position for removing from the bracket, and that when in use will protect and shield the legs of the bracket and the loop 14 against snow, rain, ice, and thus prevent the loop retainer 14 from becoming fast between the legs 7' and 8 by freezing as might be occasioned in cold weather.

In mild weather, the hood 22 may be removed. When the fastener is maintained in closed position by the loop 14, to release the gate for swinging the same to an open or partially open position, the returning loop 14 may be pushed upwardly to disengage the flange 20 from the notch 21, and as the gate is swung to an open position the curved end 16 of the retaining loop 14 riding over flange 20 of the plate 19 will of course cause the loop 14 to raise upwardly, and as the flange 20 clears the loop, the latter will fall vertically to return to its normal position.

It is believed that from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, a clear understanding of the operation and construction, utility and advantages of this invention will be had 'by those skilled in this art without a more de tailed description.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible to changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a gate fastener of the class described, a substantially U-shaped bracket comprising a pair of spaced parallel legs, said legs adapted to be secured to the fence post, one of said legs at one end adapted to be secured to one face of the fence post, and the other of said legs adjacent one end bent at right angles for attachment to the fence post at right angles to the iirst mentioned leg, bolts passing through said legs adjacent the connected ends of said legs, a retaining loop supported by said bolts for` vertical movement between the legs of said bracket, said loop having a curved lower end normally projected downwardly from said bracket, said retaining loop being disposed in the bracket in spaced relatien to said post whereby the gate may be swung to a closed position with its free end disposed between the post and the said loop, said loop provided with a notch, and a plate on said gate and extending laterally therefrom for reception into said notch when said gate is in a closed position.

2. In a gate'fastener of the class described, a substantially U-shaped bracket comprising a pair of spaced *parallel legs, said legs adapted to be secured to the fence post, one of said legs at one end adapted to be secured to one face ofthe fence post, and the other of said legs at one end being bent at right angles for attachment to the fence post at right angles to the first mentioned leg, bolts passing through said legs adjacent the connected ends of said legs, a retaining loop supported by said bolts for vertical movement between-the legs of said bracket, said loop having a curved lower end normally projected downwardly from said bracket, said retaining loop being disposed in the bracket in spaced relation to said post whereby the gate may be swung to a closed position with its free end disposed between the post and the adjacent vertical end of said loop, said loop on said vertical end being provided with a notch, and a plate on said gate and extend# ing laterally therefrom for reception into said notch when said gate is in a closed position, a hood mounted on said bracket for disposition over said retaining loop, and means for detachably securing said hood at its lower edge to the legs of said bracket.

3. In a gate fastener of the class described, a substantially U-shaped bracket comprising a pair of spaced parallel legs, said legs at one 'end adapted to be secured to a fence post,

bolts passing through said legs to extend transversely of said bracket, a retaining loop supported on said bolts for vertical movement between the legs of the bracket, said loop being supported by said bolts in said bracket in spaced relation to the fence post, whereby the gate may be swung to a closed position with its free end disposed between the fence post and an adjacent side of said loop, said side of said loop being provided with a notch, a plate on said gate having onel edge portion extending laterally ofthe gate for reception into said notchwhen said gate is in a closed position, and a hood for said loop supported on said bracket.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM MEVIS. 

